Food sources of saturated fatty acids (fats)*

 

Animal Sources

(About 60% of total saturated fat intake)

Vegetable Sources

(About 40% of total saturated fat intake)

  • Fatty meats. (About 43 to 50%*) Those with especially high total fat levels include:
      • sausages
      • normal mince
      • lamb (chops and legs etc) (50%*)
      • salamis,
      • other processed meats.
      • any meat that is not lean and has not had all visible fat removed
  • Chicken (31%*) (Lean chicken with skin removed has little fat)
  • Dairy products (About 65% to 75%*) (The only diary products with no fat are some no fat milks and yoghurts. These no fat dairy products are excellent food choices.)
  • Takeaway foods cooked in animal fat
  • Biscuits and pastries prepared with animal fat
  • Biscuits / savory crackers
  • Cakes and pastries
  • Takeaway foods (almost all of these foods are cooked in saturated fat of either vegetable or animal origin)
  • Crisps
  • Potato chips
  • Confectionary, especially chocolate
  • Coconut milk, oil or cream (90%*)
  • Palm oil (51%)**
  • Palm kennel oils (84%) **
  • Solid vegetable oils used in commercial frying***
  • Margarines (About 12 to 25% of their total fat content is saturated. This saturated fat is added to these products to make them solid at room temperature.)
  • Copha (98%*)

Trans Fatty Acids

Most trans fatty acids that occur naturally in foods are not harmful and some are beneficial. However, the trans fatty acid called elaidic acid that is formed during the processing of food is harmful, having similar effects to saturated fatty acids (i.e. raising LDL and total cholesterol and lowering HDL). It also increases the potentially harmful lipoprotein (a). Elaidic acid is mostly found in fats produced for use in deep frying (takeaway foods) and in processed foods such as margarines

Most margarines are now available with reduced (1 to 2%) or no trans fatty acids.)

 

Notes

*All fat containing foods have both saturated and unsaturated fats present. The foods in this list have a large component of saturated fat in their total fat content. The percentages mentioned indicate the percentage of saturated fat in relation to the total fat content of the food. They do not indicate the overall fat content of the food.

**These oils are often used in processes foods and in commercial frying as they do not go off as quickly as unsaturated oils.

***Unsaturated vegetable oils are often modified so that they become more saturated and do not go off as quickly. This process removes some of the double bonds in the fatty acids, thus increasing their hydrogen content (i.e. they become increasingly saturated with hydrogen). These oils are also used in processes foods and in commercial frying.

 

Food Sources of unsaturated fatty acids 

 

Monounsaturated Fats

  • Chicken (56%)
  • Game meats
  • Fish
  • All nuts except walnuts and coconut
  • Olive oil (76%)
  • Avocado (67%)
  • Canola oil (63%)
  • Macadamia nut oil (61%)
  • Peanut oil (46%)
  • Sunola oil (made from sunflowers bred to have mostly monounsaturated oils) (85%)
  • Some soy-bean oils are being genetically modified to contain more monounsaturated fat.

Polyunsaturated oils

Omega 6 types

Omega-3 Types
  • Corn or maize oil (54%*)
  • Grapeseed oil
  • Sesame oil
  • Sunflower oil (66%*)
  • Wheatgerm oil
  • Cottonseed oil
  • Soy bean oil (62%*)
  • Walnuts and walnut oil (73%*)
  • Peanut oil (35%*)
  • Human breast milk
  • Fish  -  The best source.  It may be fresh, frozen or canned. (All fish count as good sources, although oily fish such as salmon, tuna, sardines and mackerel have slightly more than white fish such as bream and whiting.)
  • Linseeds (or flaxseed) (About 54% of fats in linseeds are omega-3s and thus it is a good source of these fats. Linseed oil goes off quickly and the best source is breads containing linseeds.)
  • Walnuts and walnut oil (73%*)
  • Soy bean oil (62%*)

Notes

*Fat content percentages relate to total polyunsaturated fat content (including both omega 3s and omega 6s)

  • The percentages mentioned indicate the percentage of the particular type of fat in relation to the total fat content of the food. They do not indicate the overall fat content of the food.
  • Some foods are mentioned in two places. This is because they contain significant amounts of both types of fatty acids.